


Cat's in the Cradle

by nerdcredred, Ocelot_l



Series: Lifetimes [14]
Category: Atop the Fourth Wall, That Guy with the Glasses/Channel Awesome
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-01
Updated: 2013-11-01
Packaged: 2017-12-31 04:17:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1027136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdcredred/pseuds/nerdcredred, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ocelot_l/pseuds/Ocelot_l
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's amazing how the years can make a day change its meaning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cat's in the Cradle

**Author's Note:**

> All works can also be found at my LiveJournal page at http://bookishlady242.livejournal.com/
> 
> We do not own these characters, nor the people who portray these characters. This is meant as a work of fiction and is fair use. "Cat's in the Cradle" is performed by Harry Chapin.

Harvey Finevoice used to look forward to this day.

He remembered lying in bed half-asleep, the sheets warm and pillows cool, his sleeping wife by his side, her head on his shoulder. Through the faint buzz of sleep, he would hear the creak of the door followed by little pitter-patters coming around to his side of the bed. He didn’t open his eyes or even crack a smile; he had to play his part in this too.

A little nudge to his shoulder. A tiny hand on his forehead. Both hands on his arm and wriggling as best they could, barely moving him about. Then Harvey would suddenly allow his eyes to open, let a grin spread across his face, and grab the little intruder within his hands before lifting him into the bed, fully enjoying the barrage of shrieking giggles his captive would unleash when he’d let his fingers skitter about his sides.

They’d spend the whole morning in bed eating breakfast, for once not worrying about the state of the sheets, before getting dressed and going out to take a walk. Afternoons were filled with ice cream and shopping, then it was back to the house to play catch before both, now thoroughly exhausted, fell asleep in the hammock together.

Yes, this used to be Harvey’s favorite day.

Now when Harvey woke up on this morning and spied the calendar, he had no desire to get out of bed – but for entirely different reasons. Harvey turned over, sighing deeply, completely awake despite his desire to go back to sleep and forget. He was alone, which only added to his dour mood.

Where had it all gone? Why had the years taken away all that had made him happy?

He figured the best thing to do would be to admit defeat and get up. Maybe if he got ready fast enough, he could outrun the memories.

\-----

Harvey went down the stairs and saw the usual gang lounging about the breakfast table. Ninja was busying himself at the stove, the savory smells of eggs and frying meats reaching his nostrils. Boffo was adding his preferred cream and three spoonfuls of sugar to his coffee. Linksano was beside him, a pen in his hands, scribbling in the daily Sudoku and crossword puzzles. And Linkara was reading the comics page while eating his breakfast.

 _Good morning, Harvey!_ Boffo honked and Linksano gave a small wave. Harvey offered a grunt in response and walked into the kitchen. He reached for his mug and then headed straight for the liquor cabinet, pouring a good measure of whiskey into his cup. After adding the coffee and a small amount of cream, he took a sip and nodded before remaining standing by the counter.

*Do you prefer your eggs in a particular style, Harvey?* Ninja asked politely.

“Nah, I’m alright. Not really hungry right now,” Harvey said, and it was a miracle he was able to remain civil. Linkara put down his comics and arose from his chair to greet his boyfriend, slipping his arms around his neck and kissing him. Harvey returned the kiss but didn’t reciprocate the embrace and Linkara quirked an eyebrow.

“What’s the matter, Harv? Tired?”

“Goodness, forgive me for being tired right after waking up in the morning, Kid,” Harvey told him, taking a larger sip of his coffee. Linkara let go and made a slight pout.

“Just asking.” Another short grunt was his only response.

“What’s a ten-letter word for crank?” Linksano droned, not looking up from his puzzle. Harvey turned his head in his direction with a look of disdain.

“Doc, when’s the last time you had your gums bled?” Boffo put a protective arm around Linksano’s shoulders and Ninja turned to stare.

“Harvey, what is with you?” Linkara asked in more concern. “We’ve been nothing but nice this morning and you’re riding our backs. What’s going on with you?”

“Morning, guys!” 90s Kid called as he landed at the bottom of the stairs with a loud thump. He had a large smile on his face and was already dressed.

*You are up early today, 90s Kid.* Ninja said, preparing a large plate for the healthy appetite of the teenager. Boffo smiled once again and honked his horn in greeting.

“Totally, dude! Dan and I got big plans for today! We’re gonna have the most radical time!” He went into the kitchen and clapped Harvey on the back. “How’s it going today, dude?” The teen grimaced and flinched when Harvey whirled around, a glare on his face.

“And just what business is it of yours, Junior?” Everyone was now staring at Harvey in either surprise or indignation, but he didn’t seem to notice. 90s Kid flushed and gently pushed past Harvey to reach the fridge.

“S-sorry, I didn’t mean to bother you, dude.” 90s Kid poured himself a glass of juice before accepting his breakfast from Ninja. He took a chair next to Boffo and focused on eating while grabbing the comics page to place in front of his face.

*What was that for? 90s Kid did not deserve that.* Ninja held up, his eyes very sharp. Boffo offered 90s Kid a shoulder pat and also gave Harvey a disapproving look.

Harvey sighed and felt more miserable than ever. “I’m just gonna stay out of the way for today. I think that’d be best for everyone.” He grabbed his mug and quickly retreated back up the stairs. Linkara stared after him while Linksano dropped his pen to the table.

“What on earth got into him this morning? I certainly fail to see what could so quickly turn his mood so foul.”

90s Kid slowly chewed on his bacon and didn’t look up even when Linkara threw up his arms up in confusion. “I don’t know what’s wrong with him. Harvey’s usually just fine in the mornings, what-”

He stopped so abruptly that the others turned to stare. Linkara’s eyes had gone wide as saucers. “Oh. Oh no.”

_What is it, Linkara?_

Linkara put his head in his hands. “I know what’s wrong with him. I promise I will handle it.” Without another word, he turned around and fled up the stairs.

\-----

Harvey sat on his bed staring moodily at the wall when he heard a knock at the door. “What?”

“Harvey, it’s me. Let me in, please?”

“It’s a free country.”

Linkara opened the door and Harvey didn’t think he could handle the way his boyfriend’s face was creased in sympathy. “Harvey, I’m really sorry. I completely forgot what day it was.”

“What do you mean, Kid?” Harvey asked flatly, still staring at the wall. “It’s just any other Sunday, ain’t it?”

“It’s not just any other Sunday, Harvey.” Linkara whispered. “It’s Father’s Day.”

Harvey looked up at Linkara helplessly, his diamond-hard mask crumbling by the second. “That’s why you snapped at 90s Kid, isn’t it?” Linkara asked quietly, coming to stand before his boyfriend.

Harvey’s face scrunched up in the way that heralded tears before his arms flew around his boyfriend’s waist, burying his face in his chest. Linkara gasped slightly from the tight grip before he ran his fingers through Harvey’s hair as he felt his shirt grow wet. “Harvey, darling, it’s alright. I’m so sorry, Harvey. I forgot that this day would be hard on you. Oh, Harvey…” He bent to kiss his head and Harvey’s shoulders shook with sobs.

Linkara kept murmuring comforting things until Harvey finally pulled him down to lay with him on the bed. Tears streaked Harvey’s face and Linkara was almost ready to follow suit, his heart burning for his boyfriend. “I… I miss him, Kid…” Harvey choked.

“I know, Harvey.” A tear escaped down Linkara’s cheeks as he wiped Harvey’s face. “I wish there was something, anything I could do for you right now.”

Harvey wrapped his arms around Linkara’s shoulders and clung to him. “T-this is helping. Just… just stay with me.”

Linkara kissed him. “Always.” They laid like that in relative silence, save for sniffles and a few light sobs, for quite some time.

After what seemed like an eternity, Harvey sat up and wiped his eyes. He then slipped off the bed, down onto his knees, and pulled out the heavy trunk beneath.

“Harvey, you really don’t have to do this.”

“I have to, Kid. For me.” Linkara nodded and watched Harvey unlock it before reaching for an album and an old folder that Harvey gently blew a bit of dust from. Now in possession of these items, Harvey sat on the bed beside Linkara once again and opened the folder first, drawing out a yellowing piece of paper as though it were a priceless artifact. It was a crayon drawing of two stick figures, but Linkara could tell who they were, especially from the crooked signature in the corner.

“This was…” Harvey took a moment to swallow. “The last drawing he did for me. For F-father’s Day. He’d drawn me so much stuff I could barely get my closet door closed, but… I had to keep this one.”

Linkara nodded in understanding and slid an arm around Harvey’s waist as he set down the folder in his lap and opened the album. The first picture was of Harvey carrying Charlie on his shoulders, both of them looking happy as could be. “He looks just like you,” Linkara whispered and Harvey couldn’t help a small smile from appearing on his face.

“You ain’t the first one to tell me that he was the spittin’ image of his daddy. This was from when we went to a fair in town together. Charlie’d always love it when people would recognize me and ask for my autograph. But that day I tried to keep my head down so we’d just have a day to ourselves.”

Harvey turned the page and he next picture showed Charlie blowing out birthday candles. “His sixth birthday. I was so proud of that little guy. He was just… growing up so fast.” Harvey wiped away another tear that escaped and Linkara laid his head on his shoulder. When Harvey turned the next page, Linkara couldn’t resist laughing.

Charlie was standing in the bathroom, a canister in his hands – an old one, from the fifties-style logo – and he was covered from head to toe in shaving cream, bearing a smile as wide as a mile. “What happened here?” Linkara asked between chuckles, which managed to get Harvey to start laughing too.

“My wife came up to me and said I needed to head to the bathroom straight away, so I went in and I found Charlie like this. He looked so proud of himself, he said that he wanted to learn to shave just like I did, so he took all my shaving cream and just doused himself in it. I couldn’t even be mad at him; I just had to get a shot of this.”

“I can see why!” Linkara and Harvey broke out into more giggles and Harvey closed the book as they savored the moment together. After their laughter calmed, Linkara smiled at Harvey and kissed his lips gently.

“Thanks, Kid,” Harvey murmured, letting his forehead rest against Linkara’s.

“You can always talk with me about him, Harvey,” Linkara murmured back, pulling his boyfriend close. “I know it hurts, and I know a hurt like this never completely goes away. On days like today, the pain can start echoing through your head again, screaming at you, until you’re desperate for it to stop; but I think that when you take a moment to reflect, to remember all the good memories you’ve shared together, and when you try and make new memories you can cherish just as much as the old, the pain will wither until the screams go back to being whispers. You’ll make it through, Harvey, and I promise to always be there with you if you need me.”

Tears flowed down Harvey’s face again and again Linkara gently brushed them away. “I love you, Linkara.”

“I love you too, Harvey.”

\-----

After Harvey had made sure his red eyes were washed clean and covered with a decent amount of concealer, he made his way down the stairs and saw 90s Kid lying on the couch watching cartoons. “Hey.”

“Hey,” 90s Kid replied, not looking away from the television.

“I thought you had plans with Crockett today?”

“He had to cancel. Something came up,” 90s Kid replied, looking every bit as disappointed as he sounded. Harvey felt guilt settle in his stomach as he remembered his earlier treatment of 90s Kid, and he wracked his brain for a way to make things up to him. Fortunately, Harvey was soon struck with an idea.

“Uh, say, Junior,” he began, and 90s Kid gave him a polite glance. “I don’t really got any plans for today either, so why don’t I take you out? What were you and Crockett planning on doing?”

90s Kid sat up, intrigued by this. “We were gonna head to the park so he could watch my skateboard tricks, then over to the comic shop to pick up some stuff.”

“Sounds like a plan to me! Let’s roll.” Harvey scooped up his keys and 90s Kid reached for the remote. He was still feeling melancholy but there was no way this day could get worse.

\-----

Harvey and 90s Kid arrived at the park without incident. 90s Kid eagerly pulled his skateboard out of his backpack before fastening his helmet and protective pads securely. “Where do you usually practice here?”

“Over there by the steps, usually.” They walked over there and Harvey took a seat on a nearby bench as he watched 90s Kid walk up. The teen was confused but also pleasantly excited, since Harvey never usually took an interest in things like this, but he’d decided to do his best to put on a good show for the singer.

Harvey saw 90s Kid start rolling toward the steps at great speed and felt a flare of panic in his heart, then his eyes widened when he watched 90s Kid sail over the steps and land perfectly without even breaking a sweat. “You got nerves of steel, Junior!” 90s Kid grinned at him and bounded up to the top again.

Harvey watched with rapt interest as he saw 90s Kid grind the railing, flipping the board beneath his feet without losing speed, and even gave him a round of applause when the teen managed to pull off a backflip. “The ninja would get a real kick out of this,” he said when 90s Kid finally got tired out and moved to sit down beside him.

90s Kid blushed. “N-no way, dude. Ninja can do much better flips than me. But I’m totally glad you liked my stuff.”

“It was a knockout performance, Junior. Here, you sit tight and catch your breath, I’ll be right back.” 90s Kid took off his helmet and pads and put his board away as he waited for the singer to come back. His eyes lit up when Harvey returned with two ice cream cones in his hands and he eagerly accepted one.

“Aw, thanks man. I totally needed this right now. How’d you know Dan and I were gonna get ice cream and stuff?”

“Lucky guess.” Harvey sat down again and the two were quiet for a bit as they ate. The singer thought of how little time he’d really spent with 90s Kid over the years. True, they’d lived with each other for quite some time and Harvey saw him around the base often, or when they were training together, but they’d never really had any one-on-one time together. In spite of what he knew about 90s Kid’s interests and hobbies, Harvey didn’t know very many personal details about the teenager. He decided that was going to come to a stop that day.

“So, Junior… what do you usually do when you come around to the park?”

90s Kid had completely forgiven Harvey’s earlier grouchiness and answered easily. “I love coming out here, man. Dan and I usually walk around or toss the Frisbee around and stuff, or sometimes my awesome friends will ask me to chase them or play tag. Plus I love doing tricks on my skateboard. I like the fresh air.”

Harvey chuckled. “It almost sounds like you want to live here.” 90s Kid gave a bit of a wry smile and ate some more of his cone. Harvey let the comfortable silence go on for a time as he worked up the courage to dig in deeper. “So, y’know, today’s Father’s Day.”

“Huh? Really?” 90s Kid looked surprised. “I totally forgot.”

“Did you ever do anything nice with your father back in your time on Father’s Day?” Harvey asked, wanting to make conversation. He looked surprised when 90s Kid lowered his head and dug at the dirt with the toe of his sneaker.

“Uh, no… my dad didn’t really like hanging out with me all that much. I don’t remember a lot about him. I think I drew him something once.”

“Oh, well, that’s always good!” Harvey said, trying to encourage a smile out of the teen. “What’d he do with it?”

90s Kid took a bite out of his cone and chewed for a moment. “Saw it in the trash the next day.”

Harvey felt a wave of fire pass through him that almost melted the ice cream in his hands. What kind of a father did something like that? It also crushed him how 90s Kid didn’t even look that upset revealing such information, like he had grown used to just being ignored or not having anything of his appreciated. Harvey wasn’t gonna stand for this another minute. “Hey, Junior, why don’t we head over to that comic book shop? I’m sure there’s a bunch of cool stuff you can show me there.”

90s Kid brightened up and he polished off the last of his cone. “Let’s rock, dude!”

\-----

Harvey took delight in 90s Kid’s grin when they heard the ding of the comic shop door. The man behind the counter greeted him by name and 90s Kid waved as he headed toward the back of the store. “This place has a totally awesome collection of back issues. Linkara comes here a lot too when he’s, like, looking for stuff for his show.”

“I think I remember him mentioning this place,” Harvey murmured as glanced around at the comics and other merchandise within the store. Comic book shops gave Harvey an odd sense of calm, especially since the very sight of them reminded him of his loved ones. “What are you looking through there, Junior?”

“Duuude, check this one out!” 90s Kid lifted a comic out of a box with a shiny gold cover. “Vintage Rob Liefeld stuff here, man! He always writes the most extreme issues!”

“What’s it about?”

90s Kid turned to him, startled. “Huh?”

“What’s it about? Tell me about it.”

“Y-you really wanna know?” 90s Kid fidgeted, almost unable to believe that Harvey was taking such an interest in this. “I’m sure Linkara has told you about these already.”

“Well, the Kid’s sorta biased about this stuff. I wanna hear it from you. C’mon.” Harvey flashed him a smile and 90s Kid smiled back, instantly plunging into a detailed explanation of the book and the characters, pleased that Harvey didn’t look away or roll his eyes even once.

90s Kid kept flipping through the comic boxes and retrieving select issues that he kept elaborating on to Harvey, his happy voice flowing like water from a tap. Eventually 90s Kid had an armful of potential purchases and the two went up to the counter together. The teen removed his hat and grabbed a wad of cash from within but Harvey stopped him with a hand. “My treat, Junior.”

“What? Dude, you don’t have to do that!”

“It’s nothin’, Junior, really. Don’t mention it.”

90s Kid smiled. “Okay! Thanks a ton, Harvey-dude.”

“Anytime. Did you and Crockett have anything else in mind for today?” Harvey asked as they exited the shop.

“Uh, not really. Just video games and stuff.”

Harvey smiled as they got into the car. “Well, I guess we know what we’re doing next. I’m a little rusty on that Genie-whatever you have, but I’ll try anything once.”

90s Kid beamed at Harvey and nodded eagerly. “I totally wanna do that with you, dude! Let’s go!”

\-----

Soon Harvey and 90s Kid were sitting on the futon and engaging in the two-player mode of Sonic 2. “So, I’m the guy on the bottom half, right?”

“Yeah, you’re Tails. You gotta, like, beat the enemies, get rings, and get to the end before me and stuff.”

“I can barely see a thing on this tiny screen,” Harvey muttered, pushing buttons wildly and trying his best to go as fast as he could. Before long, 90s Kid whizzed past the end sign. “Damn, you’re too fast for me, Junior."

90s Kid giggled. “I’m Sonic, dude, I gotta go fast! It’s not my fault your eyes aren’t what they used to be.”

“Shaddap before I hit ya with my cane,” Harvey joked good-naturedly while 90s Kid giggled and chose the next level. The two played for a good while, with Harvey even managing to beat 90s Kid once, though 90s Kid was kind enough not to say he ran into an enemy on purpose. Eventually Harvey’s eyes got too tired to continue and they shut the game off. “Good game, Junior.”

“Totally, Harvey-dude! Thanks a ton for hanging out with me today.”

“Ah, it was nothing,” Harvey told him, getting up from the couch.

“No, really dude, it meant a lot,” 90s Kid said as he got up to face him. “You totally didn’t have to do all this stuff with me cuz Dan cancelled and junk.”

Harvey sighed. “It wasn’t just ‘cause of that, Junior. I wanna say I’m sorry about before. I didn’t mean to bite your head off like that. I just… had a bad morning, I guess.”

“Dude, don’t worry about it. We all wake up grumpy sometimes. And besides, you totally don’t seem grumpy now, so I hope I was able to help!”

Harvey smiled. “You did, Junior. You really did.” He surprised 90s Kid then by pulling him into a hug. “Thanks.”

90s Kid managed to wrap his arms around Harvey and squeeze back. “N-no problem, Harvey.”

Harvey stretched a bit after they let go. “Every time we hug it pops my back right back in.” 90s Kid giggled and Harvey waved a friendly good-bye. “I’m gonna take a shower and get some rest, I think. See you around.”

“Later!”

\-----

Harvey felt a lot better as he felt the hot water wash over him. He never would have imagined that spending a day with 90s Kid of all people would be the cure to ease his heartbreak, but now he felt back to normal again, or maybe even a little better than before. Linkara had been right about new memories causing the screams to fade to whispers, so he made a mental note to thank him very much for his sage wisdom.

Harvey planned on slipping into Linkara’s room that night, but he stopped by his own bedroom first so he could change into his pajamas. After walking inside and rubbing himself down with his towel, he noticed something sitting atop his dresser. Harvey reached for it and saw a hand-drawn picture of 90s Kid and himself standing side by side. He smiled, marveling once again at how well the teen could draw. Then his eyes spotted the writing in the corner.

_Thanks for a totally awesome time today! Happy Father’s Day!_

_90s Kid_

Harvey had to be careful not to let any tears drip onto the paper.

\-----

When 90s Kid came downstairs the next morning, he went to the fridge for a glass of juice and saw his picture hanging on the fridge. He smiled and turned to see Harvey standing at the coffee machine, looking much happier than he’d been the day before. Linkara observed the two clink glasses and sat down to eat with a warm smile.

It seemed everything was going to be just fine.


End file.
